Yappi
Yappi (better known as the Stupendous Yappi) was a celebrity who often made appearances in filmed media, such as on television. (TXF: "Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose", "[[José Chung's From Outer Space|José Chung's From Outer Space]]") History Newspaper Article In 1995, Yappi appeared in tabloid newspaper Midnight Inquisitor. The publication's front page included an image of his face and an article titled "The Stupendous Yappi's Foreseeable Futures". In the article, he made several predictions that were listed under the subheading "I Foresee!" These foretellings included "a rocky romantic affair between Superstar Madonna and Superwitness Kato Kaelin", "public disclosure that a coffeehouse chain uses narcotics in their brewing process" and that "sales at the cafes will plummet but only for a day or two", "Author J.D. Salinger finally publishing a new novel and hitting the talk show circuit to promote it", "exposure of the real reason for the 1983 U.S. Invasion on Grenada, causing future historians to regard this military action as the most significant moment of the twentieth century", and "the revelation that not Elvis, but rather Buddy Holly is still alive, having faked his own death so many years ago. Holly will not only reemerge but also regroup with The Crickets, and they will headline in next year's lollapallazo." On 16 September 1995, Clyde Bruckman studied a copy of this article, inside a store in St. Paul. Bruckman thought that Yappi's prediction about Madonna and Kato Kaelin was "a gimme" and "not really stepping out on a limb", and that the foretelling of J.D. Salinger's future was "just playing the odds", but Bruckman nevertheless bought the newspaper copy he had been reading from. Assistance with Investigations Before Visit to a Crime Scene Yappi worked on a case with a policeman who found the celebrity to be "very spooky", prior to 19 September 1995. Shortly before that date, Yappi was requested - by an officer named Cline - to assist with a recent murder case in North Minneapolis. Rumors of Yappi's involvement in the case soon developed and, on 19 September 1995, Yappi was indirectly discussed by Cline and another police officer, Havez, in the room where the murder had occurred. Even though Havez was worried that the celebrity was reportedly somewhat unorthodox, Cline tried to assure Havez that Yappi was supposedly an expert at helping out with murder investigations and came highly recommended. Havez then sarcastically cited one of Yappi's television appearances that he himself had seen as an example of the celebrity's esteemed recommendation and the same policeman who had previously worked with Yappi – now working as a photographer – soon joined the conversation, recalling the celebrity's spookiness on the earlier case. Cline was prepared to admit that Yappi was a "publicity hound" but revealed that he was willing to accept both that fact and the kookiness of the celebrity, as long as Yappi gave them leads on the case. The investigators' discussion about Yappi was interrupted by the arrival of FBI Agents Mulder and Scully. During Visit to a Crime Scene Cline.]] Yappi himself arrived shortly thereafter, surrounded by an entourage that included a crowd of excited fans who were allowed only so far as a corridor outside the room – before being led away by police – and a glamorous personal assistant who followed him into the room. Yappi wore black sunglasses as he entered the room but took them off, moments after entering, and was dazzled by the photographer taking a picture of him. Cline began to thank Yappi for coming down to the crime scene but was quieted by the celebrity, who claimed he was seeing visions of the killer. Implying that he believed the killer was a male, Yappi purported that the killer did not feel as if he was in control of his own life and that this highly important fact was the reason the murderer killed. Yappi described the criminal as a white man who possibly had facial hair and a tattoo somewhere on his body, also suggesting that the tattoo might have the facial hair. Crouching down low to the floor, the supposed psychic claimed he could see the killer there, forcing himself on the victim but being unable to perform and consequently taking out his rage. , for signs of "negative energy".]] A frustrated Yappi then abruptly announced that his vision had ended, due to what he termed "negative energy" in the room. Although he initially approached Scully and studied her up-close, he then moved to Mulder. Yappi doubted Mulder when the FBI agent claimed to be a believer in psychic ability and Mulder eventually left the room due to Yappi's insistence that the FBI agent was emitting negative energy. , while watched by his own glamorous assistant.]] Yappi bent a pen belonging to Cline and applause concluded the celebrity's examination of the crime scene. As he left the room, he excused himself, mentioning that he had an interview to give. He passed Mulder on the way out of the room and told Mulder that he himself was sickened by skeptics such as the FBI agent. After Mulder asked the celebrity to read a certain thought, Yappi slightly jumped back in shock and remarked that the same thought was true of Mulder's "old man". Yappi then left the crime scene, still annoyed with Mulder and followed by his glamorous assistant. After Visit to a Crime Scene Upon Mulder returning to the room, Scully told him that he had missed "quite a performance". Mulder guesstimated that Yappi had proclaimed the victim's body would be found near water, had seen a church or a school in the vicinity and had experienced a flash of the letter "S" and/or the number "seven"; Cline neither confirmed nor denied Mulder's speculations and instead asked him to clarify his point. Both Mulder and Scully seemed to be of the opinion that Yappi's leads were so vague as to be practically useless, yet easily interpreted to be correct after the fact and that, by percentage, some of the many things Yappi had said were bound to be correct. Cline was convinced, however, that Yappi had provided more solid leads on the case than the agents had and, based on the celebrity's predictions, Cline prepared to conduct a search for an impotent white male, aged seventeen to thirty-four, with possibly a beard and/or a tattoo. After Clyde Bruckman found the killer's first victim in a dumpster, Cline noted to Agents Mulder and Scully that Yappi had said the first victim's body would be dumped somewhere. The FBI agents were still not convinced that Yappi was a reliable source and Mulder ridiculed Cline's belief that the correlation between the celebrity's prediction and finding the body in a dumpster was creepy. Shortly thereafter, Mulder came to believe that Clyde Bruckman was actually psychic but – after Bruckman threw up, apparently in reaction to experiencing a psychic vision in the same room that Yappi had earlier examined – Scully voiced her opinion that Bruckman was performing the same routine as Yappi, only in a different style. Bruckman's findings at this crime scene did support some of Yappi's predictions, such as the fact that the killer felt like he was not in control of his own life (although Bruckman admitted that this was true of mostly everyone) and that the victim had had sex with her killer, in exactly the same spot where Yappi had said the killer and his victim had been having sex. However, Bruckman purported that the killer not only felt like he was out of control but also thought of himself as a puppet and that his victim had not been raped by her killer, but had rather entirely instigated their sexual encounter. Unlike Yappi, Bruckman could not ascertain what the killer looked like and was unfamiliar with "negative energy", but was able to correctly ascertain that the victim was floating in Glenview Lake and that she would be found there on the following morning. Television Advert In 1995, Yappi appeared in a televised commercial that advertised his hotline. In this advertisement, Yappi stated, "Do you want to know the future? Do you want to know what lies ahead? Then call me, The Stupendous Yappi. "For years, I have entertained audiences with my psychic abilities. I have been consulted by Hollywood stars, police departments, even presidents. Now, I can be your personal psychic consultant. "Do you want to know if you will get that promotion? Do you want to know if your marriage will be successful? Do you want to know where you will meet your one true love? Then call me at 1-900-555-Yapp. Remember, the future's close at hand and so is your phone. So to hear tomorrow's secrets today, just pick it up. I know you will; I can see your future." This advertisement also included on-screen text that read, "The Stupendous Yappi Personal Forecast; 1-900-555-YAPP; $3.99 Per Minute / For Adults & Entertainment Only". The advertisement was shown on television, one night shortly after the deaths of Clyde Bruckman, Officer Havez and the killer himself (the latter having been shot to death by Scully). On the night it was shown, the commercial was immediately preceded by the end of a black-and-white film that had been released by Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation. Scully watched the advertisement and was about to call Yappi's hotline but ultimately threw her telephone at the television in frustration. (TXF: "Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose") Hosting an Alien Autopsy In about 1996, Yappi hosted Dead Alien -- Truth or Humbug?, pictured on the documentary's front cover, next to a label that read, "Hosted by the Stupendous Yappi". During the documentary, he asked the viewer whether footage that seemed to be from an alien autopsy was indeed actually from such an autopsy or, on the other hand, simply a well-made hoax. After continuing to talk to the viewer, Yappi's voice was later overdubbed onto footage of the mysterious procedure. While Mulder could be seen standing near the ongoing operation without his face being captured on camera, Yappi wondered aloud about the identity of the "mysterious man" who seemed to be overseeing the procedure and asked, of a masked Scully, what secret government agency she worked for. José Chung and Scully later viewed this documentary together but Chung fast-forwarded some of Yappi's dialogue. (TXF: "[[José Chung's From Outer Space|José Chung's From Outer Space]]") Appendices Appearances *TXF: **"Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose" **"[[José Chung's From Outer Space|José Chung's From Outer Space]]" Background Information This character was played by Jaap Broeker, David Duchovny's stand-in on The X-Files. According to Jaap, he was standing on a set when Darin Morgan – the writer of both "Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose" and "José Chung's From Outer Space" – walked up to him and said that he would create a role for Jaap, politely asking the actor whether he would mind that. Jaap Broeker initially thought Morgan was joking but the writer totally based the character and speech pattern of Yappi on the actor. Shortly after the script for "Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose" was submitted, show-runner Chris Carter walked by and said to Broeker, "Hello, Yappi", causing the actor to realize that Darin Morgan had not, in fact, been joking. Jaap Broeker took a week off from his usual stand-in duties to prepare for the role of the Stupendous Yappi. During production, Scully actress Gillian Anderson had some difficulty with not laughing when Broeker speedily approached her while arching his hyperactive eyebrows. Ultimately, Broeker thoroughly enjoyed playing the role of Yappi, in the first episode in which the character appears, and was grateful to Morgan, Duchovny and Anderson. He was ultimately of the opinion that he had been let loose on that episode and had consequently enjoyed appearing in it more than in "José Chung's From Outer Space". "Clyde Bruckman's Final Repose" begins and ends with a close-up of Yappi's eyes. The first shot of the episode starts with a close-up of his right eye, from his photographic appearance in the Midnight Inquirer newspaper, and zooms out to show most of the publication's front page. The episode's final shot features a close-up of both his eyes from his television advertisement. Yappi Yappi Category:TXF characters